DCE intern Phil Klopke responded to the call issued to him in a formal letter that was read on Sunday, February 7, at the adult Sunday school.

Dear friends of Saint Johns,

At the end of June, you may recall having a young man coming from Chicago and giving him an opportunity to be apart of your church. You had him turn into a human hotdog, be a dean at Camp Linn Haven, allowed him to work with the youth and two incredible pastors, and most of all, you gave him a chance to be a your DCE intern.

Over the past six months it has been a blessing to be here in North Carolina and especially at Saint Johns. You have invited me into your homes, taken me out to eat, humbled me by taking me to special events, and above all, you have treated me like I was your son. I thought leaving Chicago, my family, and my girlfriend was not going to be easy, but you have made this place like another home.

Three weeks ago there was a special meeting to extend a call to have me become your DCE here at Saint Johns. I cannot express how humbling it was to hear your affirmative comments and vote. Immediately this decision was taken seriously with thought and prayer. After seeking guidance from God, my family, and close mentors, I have decided to decline the call to Saint Johns. This decision has not been easy, because I know this place is very special. At this moment, I do not feel that God is calling me to remain a D.C.E. for very long. It has been with great joy that God has opened new doors for me. This calling is to become a pastor and pursing the Seminary. If you would of asked me about seminary four years ago, I would have told you I do not want anything to do with the pastoral role. With my father presently serving as a Pastor in Chicago, I never had the intention of following in my father’s footsteps.

I love doing youth ministry and I have loved working here at Saint Johns, but I know that God is pulling me into a different direction and I cannot deny it. I do realize that my internship requires me to be here for a full year for accreditation requirements. I want to promise you that I will do everything in my power to help nurture and support our future church leaders. As you have noticed, there are more youth coming to bible studies, lock-ins, and other various church events. We have one of the largest groups ever going to the National Youth Gathering. This past lock-in we were able to connect with 80 teenagers for our New Years Party. Half of those kids did not belong to Saint Johns or even a church. This has a lot to do with our leaders who are volunteering their time for youth ministry. For the next six months, I will continue to nurture them, mold them, and guide them so youth ministry can continue to grow even though I will be leaving shortly.

There is a lot to be proud of for this congregation. Saint John’s continues to see new people walk through their doors each week. Saint John’s continues to press forward into the future, and will remain spreading the Gospel. Saint Johns has been a special place for me filled with incredible people that have taught me what it means to be a man of God. Saint John’s has two remarkable pastors, which I have befriended and they continue to mentor me. With that being said, I personally want to thank you for even taking a chance on a guy like me. Personally, I do not look forward to the day I have to say goodbye, but I do rejoice that together, we will all continue to spread the Word so that everyone may know that Jesus is Lord.

Love Wins.

Phil Klopke